Santa Barbara Face & Body in Santa Barbara, California, is a physician-led aesthetic practice. Non-surgical care is led by Dr. Allison Pontius, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon, and surgical care by Dr. Alain Polynice, a board-certified plastic surgeon, so every treatment is guided by a physician and matched honestly to the patient.
Santa Barbara Face & Body is an aesthetic practice where treatments are guided by physicians at every step, from the first consultation through follow-up. Non-surgical facial rejuvenation and skin care are led by Dr. Allison Pontius, a facial plastic surgeon, and surgical procedures of the breast, body, and face by Dr. Alain Polynice, a plastic surgeon. The practice emphasizes measured results, safety, and honest guidance toward the least invasive option that meets a patient’s goals.
What physician-led actually means
It is a specific claim, not a slogan.
- A physician guides the plan. Your treatment is directed by a physician, from assessment through follow-up.
- Two areas of expertise. Non-surgical and surgical care under one roof, so the advice is complete.
- Honest recommendations. Because both options exist here, there is no reason to oversell one.
- Natural, restrained results. The goal is you on a good day, not a different face.
The two specialists
Complementary expertise, one practice.
| Dr. Allison Pontius | Dr. Alain Polynice | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Non-surgical facial rejuvenation, skin | Breast, body, and surgical face |
| Credential | Board-certified facial plastic surgeon | Board-certified plastic surgeon |
| Known for | Restraint, natural injectables | Safety-first surgery, revision expertise |
Because both practice here, you are matched to the right expertise, and referrals between them happen in-house.
The standard behind every recommendation
The through-line is accountability and appropriateness.
- Physician-directed. A physician guides the plan from consultation through follow-up.
- Appropriate, not sold. The recommendation is the least that achieves your goal — sometimes that means doing less, or nothing yet.
- Full range. Non-surgical and surgical care under one roof, so the advice is complete.
- Accountability. A board-certified physician stands behind every recommendation.
We recommend what is appropriate, not what can be sold — and a physician can offer, or advise against, the full range of non-surgical and surgical care.
The patient journey
What working with the practice looks like.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Consultation | Your concern and goals come first, not a catalog |
| Assessment | A physician examines you and explains the options |
| Honest plan | The least invasive option that meets your goal, in writing |
| Treatment | Non-surgical or surgical, by the right specialist |
| Follow-up | Results reviewed, maintenance and next steps discussed |
The value is not the steps. It is that a physician owns each one.
Why Santa Barbara Face & Body
The practice pairs two things patients rarely find together: genuine restraint and genuine range. Dr. Pontius brings a physician-injector’s discipline to non-surgical rejuvenation, and Dr. Polynice brings Mayo Clinic-trained surgical judgment to the breast, body, and face. Because both are here, the recommendation can be honest, sometimes that means doing less, or nothing yet, and because both are board-certified physicians, there is real accountability behind every plan. That is the standard.
Who this suits
A good fit if you
- Want a physician, not a menu, guiding your care
- Value honesty over upsell and natural over overdone
- Want non-surgical and surgical options in one place
- Prefer judgment and expertise to theatrics
Perhaps not the fit if you
- Want the cheapest option regardless of who performs it
- Are seeking a look the practice considers unnatural
- Prefer choosing treatments from a set menu without a physician’s guidance
What to expect
Your first visit is a conversation, not a sales pitch. A physician listens to your concern, examines you, and explains the realistic options, including when the honest answer is a simpler treatment or none at all. You leave with a plan matched to you, clear expectations, and pricing in writing, and never any pressure to decide on the spot.
What it costs
Because care is matched to you rather than sold from a menu, treatments are quoted by the plan, not by a shelf price. You will always have clear pricing in writing at your consultation, with no pressure to do more than you need. Honest recommendations include honest numbers.
- Practice type
- Physician-led by design
- Non-surgical lead
- Dr. Allison Pontius, facial plastic surgeon
- Surgical lead
- Dr. Alain Polynice, plastic surgeon
- Values
- Natural, restrained, honest, safety-first
- Location
- Santa Barbara